Starverse: Soul
by Starimus
Summary: After the unseen battle mentioned in Age of Extinction, the Autobots are scattered and their leader seriously injured. A young orphan finds companionship in the alien, and she makes it her purpose in life to help hide him and take care of him.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

 **(Update: Now includes a little bit of insight into how the main characters actually meet.)**

 **I hope this second revision will help pull more people into this story. I might make a third revision in the future.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Prologue**

* * *

Aimi climbs into the truck as soon as she sees it. All she knows is she has to get away from the government agents who have stormed into town.

This is Texas. One used to be able to trust the authorities, but now, any time someone with a badge shows up, you do your best to not appear at all.

Aimi's not from around here. She moved from Japan to the United States seven years ago with her parents and brother. That was only shortly before the whole "aliens" thing started, and she learned not to trust the authorities sent by the government.

Decepticon hunting began about a year ago and now it seems anyone who comes to this place with a badge destroys everything in the hunt. Of course, there is a good reason for them returning every few weeks. There were rumors shortly before the first raid, which Aimi doesn't doubt were responsible for the government's interest.

The rumor was that the leader of the Decepticons managed to escape from the last hunt's battle, but not without a mortal wound. People began to say he fled to here and was hiding somewhere, possibly in plain sight.

Aimi thought they were being ridiculous, and then idiotic when the agents showed up demanding an evacuation. She hid instead, in the aforementioned truck that, for whatever reason, is being stored in the back of a run-down theater.

Her family left without her, and she couldn't find it in herself to care when they never came back.

Naturally, she took it upon herself to find a new home, and so she found she liked this old truck. After seeing that no one was ever around, she decided to live in it. It wasn't like she was sleeping on the floor: it did have a cab, albeit a small one, and it wasn't hard to find a blanket for the bed.

It's her safe place, which is why she's hiding in it now, the doors locked as long as the agents are in the building.

As far as she can hear, they seem to be taking an Energon detector to everything on the floor, and she tenses reflexively as the steady beeping gradually gets closer.

A sudden bang on one of the doors makes her jump, and the detector becomes louder and then quieter as they walk around the truck.

"Let's go. There's nothing here."

Yes, she thinks. Go far, far away.

The detector is shut off and she listens to their voices get quieter as they walk out. She waits in silence for about five minutes just to make sure before coming out of the cab and sitting in the driver's seat.

"That was close," she sighs. She takes a look at the center console and pulls up the middle compartment, reaching in to pick up the can of soda she had stolen earlier. "Too close."

She moves over to the passenger seat so she can lean back and put her bare feet up on the dashboard, staring out the windshield as she opens the can and takes a drink. It isn't exactly cold anymore, but it should give her the energy she needs for a trip into town. Remembering her mission, she looks down under the dash, where one of the dents on the outside shows on the inside along with a mess of crushed metal parts.

"I really gotta get some tools."

* * *

Aimi worked on repairing the old hunk of metal for hours. She's no mechanic, but she does know how to weld broken metal back together.

And the fact that this thing is real metal and not that fake metal and fibreglass is only a curiosity to her.

Once she gets to the hood — if one could even call it that, seeing how this is a flat-nose — she glances at the engine, puts the hood down halfway, and then does a double-take on the engine. She's seen broken and busted engines before, but never one with a straight hole through it, and certainly never one constantly firing blue sparks out the center. No, she's never seen anything like this, and her curiosity gets the best of her.

Upon further examination, she can see there's something wedged in the engine, right next to what appears to be the source of the strange sparks. Something within her — intuition maybe? — urges her to take it out. Without a second thought, Aimi reaches her hand in the hole, finding it just big enough to do so, takes hold of the object, and pulls it out.

She doesn't know why, but a sense of relief comes over her once she's brought it out. She looks closer at it, scrutinizing the aerodynamic form of the object.

"What is this?"

Her mind suddenly registers it: the tapered front, the aerodynamic body, the wings on the end. Her eyes go wide, and she drops it and jumps back at the same time.

"OHMYLORD, IT'SAMISSILE."

Her first instinct is to duck behind the closet pile of junk and brace for an explosion. She could've sworn it was armed, and she dropped it.

After a minute of no explosion, she uncovers her ears and peers out from behind the junkpile. She stares at it for a moment before slowly walking out and peering at it. She jumps at the sudden pop of sparks that spray from it, and freezes.

"Well..." She pokes it once with her foot, then relaxes when nothing happens. "Thank G- OH!"

The missile suddenly lit and shot right through the gap between her feet, making her jump, literally this time. She whirls around and watches as the missile ricochets off the seats and balconies of the theater before burning out and dropping into the ground-level seats at the other end.

After a few moments of nothing more than dust falling from where the missile hit the balconies, Aimi sighs.

"I think that's enough excitement for today."

Brushing herself off, she turns back to the truck. The first thing she notices is the engine has stopped sparking. She gets closer, and her eyes go wide when she sees a blue glow start up in the engine and the pieces still intact begin moving.

"Oh, no..."

* * *

 **… Obstruction: Removed …**

 **… Systems: Offline … Reboot? … _affirmative_ … Rebooting …**

 **…**

 **… Systems: Activating … Systems: Active … Run Diagnostic Check? … _affirmative_ … Diagnostic Check: Active … Running Diagnostic Check ...**

 **… Spark Chamber: Damaged, Critical … Frame: Damaged, Minimal … Senses: Functional, Critical Damage Sustained: Right Audio … Processor: Fully Functional …**

 **… Armor Systems: Functional … Weapon Systems: Damaged, Minimal, Ammunition: Critical Low … Critical Damage Sustained: Unable to Form Left Blade …**

 **… Run Further Diagnostic Check? … _negative_ … Scan Vicinity? … _affirmative_ … Proximity Scanners: Activating …**

 **… Scanning Proximity …**

 **… Average Lifeform Detected …**

 **… Activate Optical Sensors? …**

 **… _affirmative_ … _engage ion cannon_ …**

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Welcome, all readers, to my first full-out story. If you want to know why I never put disclaimers in my stuff, here's why: A disclaimer is to say that you do not own any or, in the case of personal OCs, certain characters, etc. However, this is fan fiction. FAN fiction. Because we're FANS of the thing that we're writing about. They know we're fans of their thing, so they know FAN fiction is FAN-written and non-profit (it is illegal to sell FAN fiction), and thus their thing isn't being used commercially, so they are the only ones who own the thing. If I had permission to sell fan fiction within a certain fandom, or use said fandom for a commercial purpose, I would have to say "(fandom name), (name of something within the fandom), and all other (fandom name) elements belong to (fandom owner) and are used with permission." I wouldn't get to keep most of what money I did make, so I wouldn't really be making any profit, and it would basically be me advertising for fandom name, and in the case of use with permission, that is legal. Now please don't go and review and say "HEY YOU FORGOT TO DISCLAIM THIS." This site is called . They know I don't own anything but any of my personal OCs and any ideas, plots, and story elements that I come up with myself (or with the help of MY fans). I'm not going to get sued for not disclaiming something that clearly and obviously does not belong to me.**

 **Chill.**

 **Now read my story, it's entertaining and has short chapters. Oh, and it also has more Transformers than humans.**

 **It isn't called "Transformers" for nothing.**


	2. The Beginning

**A/N**

 **A massively Alternate Universe, a little blend of Age of Extinction and a non-romantic version of my own personal Starverse. (HEADCANONS!) (whether Stargazer will appear or not is highly debatable)**

 **I** _ **am**_ **accepting ideas on advancing this story, and I plan to ask questions, so be sure to check the Author Notes at the ends of the chapters! Also, don't be afraid to ask me any questions about** _ **this**_ **story in your reviews!**

 **Answers to things you may be wondering already:**

 **Yes, there is death.**

 **Yes, there is betrayal.**

 **No, this is not void of humans.**

 **But no, this is not about the humans!**

 **There is also humor, so no, this is not an entirely "dark" fic.**

 **Now please, enjoy this wonderful(?) beginning I wrote out of boredom.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **The Beginning**

* * *

She watches his chassis rise and fall steadily but slowly, evidence that though calm, he still suffers. The rest of his frame lies completely still, one leg draped over the other as he's partially on his side, save for the rare, minute twitch of one pede. From where she is, she can watch his faceplates, how his audio dials spin and his olfactory sensors test the air subconsciously.

When she can't sleep, she finds it nice to just watch him enjoy his recharge while it lasts. It's one of the only ways she can ever see him happy, as if he dreams of a post-War Cybertron.

But he is hurt, on many levels and in different senses of the word.

Physically, his right shoulder and servo sometimes falter, the result of an old battle wound that, with the absence of his medic, was not able to be mended properly and thus does not always function as normal. The joint locks on occasion, and it's very painful for him to jam it loose again. The walls of several abandoned buildings have been dented and scarred by those efforts, which were fortunately always successful after a couple of rams. He's covered in minor cuts and dents, scratches and faint, abraded paint.

Said paint reflects his emotional damage, for which there is no repair technique, human or otherwise.

Hurt. Anger, sorrow, rage, worthlessness, hate, contempt, just to name a few.

There is no human word for such a combination, and such things can only be understood through the witnessing of the resulting actions, not more words.

She has seen these actions, and it is when she lends him her attention, comforts him but does not reassure him because there is no assurance to be given, only then does he calm and release. He releases his worry, his regret.

His fear.

Fear keeps him alive, and she is the one to bring him to realize and accept his fright. She is the entire reason he has not been offlined by those who broke him when they turned on him and his allies, his friends.

He retreats, she follows, and they escape, continuing on until the next night before finding the next place to hide.

Often they sleep and recharge away from each other, as he recognizes the uncommon occasions where he does not dream pleasantly and would be a danger to anyone closeby. But sometimes, they rest together, him curled halfway around her, holding her close to his radiating chassis with one hand, which covers her entire body. These are the nights she gets the most sleep, pressed close to her guardian so she knows, even while unconscious, that she is secure and protected.

This is not one of those nights. Not for her.

He recharges well, and she sits perched on a rock shelf in the wall of the large cave they currently call home. She's thought about going hunting a couple of times, but has decided it would be best not to leave him alone.

Instead, she sits as still as he lies, listening and watching both him and the tunnel leading to the outside world.

The world that refused to accept the truth that Earth's dominant species might need assistance in retaining their planet. That what one does not understand is not always something to be afraid of.

That they're just like each other.

"Akemi?"

The quiet, rumbling voice brings her out of her thoughts and she returns her eyes to meet his gaze.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" he vents.

"We both know neither of us are alright."

Slowly, he pushes himself up to sit before her, leaning back on his pedes, and they look at each other for a long moment.

He breaks the silence. "Do you miss them?"

"No."

She moves further onto the ledge and he shifts closer, lowering his helm so she can reach his crest without leaning forward. She does anyway, closing her eyes and resting her head against him.

"Remember," she whispered. "You're the only one who matters to me."

* * *

" _It's been three years since the world_ \- _tragic events in Chicago._ "

"It's giving me a headache."

" _In response, the Autobots were sent_ -"

"It's officially broken, you know."

"- _whereabouts of the Autobots has_ -"

"Stop it."

"- _appears they have resurfaced._ "

The radio shuts off with a quiet click and she sighs. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," comes the deep voice from the torn dashboard.

She leans forward, draping herself over the wheel, and stares out the front window at the thick brush and large trees.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you scared everything off with that radio of yours."

"There are other ways for you to acquire Energon."

"I've told you, it's food. Not Energon."

"My bad."

She shakes her head and steps out of the flat-nose, dropping to the grass with a soft thud. She looks over the tree line again, and picks up her recurve bow from where she had set it on the ground. She takes one arrow and nocks it, walking towards the plant-ridden area that has served as a temporary hunting ground for the past few days.

"I can take you to the town if you need to go there."

"Trust me, I don't."

She travels through the trees, staying low as she constantly scans the environment. Just when she spots a deer and draws back her arrow, the sound of a transformation sequence sends the animal into flight mode. She sighs and turns around to see the large mechanical being behind her.

"Did you have to do that?"

"I am sorry. I did not want you to go too far."

"You know, one of these days, you'll have to just sit still and trust that I can take care of myself. For Primus' sake, _I'm_ taking care of _you_."

"Very well."

Another sigh and she slips the arrow back into her quiver before following him back towards the cave in silence.

There is a dirt road they have to cross over to get back to the cave, and the mech slows as they approach it. Distracted, Aimi doesn't see he's stopped until she walks into his heel strut, and he flinches when she yelps in surprise, looking down and back at her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why'd you stop?"

"Listen."

She's about to ask when she hears it. Police sirens, and getting closer.

"What're we waiting for?"

He kneels down, puts his hand down in front of her, and lifts her up so she can climb onto his shoulder.

* * *

"Do you ever miss anyone?"

"Affirmative."

"Who?"

He turns his helm to look at her where she's sitting on a partially demolished wall, just under optic-level, and he processes for a moment before looking away.

"My old friends."

"Optimus." The somewhat stern tone catches his attention again.

"Yes?"

"You call everyone you've met before 'old friend.'"

"That is not true."

"Just be more specific," she sighs. "Which ones?"

He straightens himself and leans back against the wall, close to the corner, where he can still see the human.

"There were two I used to know, long before the War began. One was a mech. He was quite different than I am, but also fairly similar. He was intelligent, sympathetic, and mildly ambitious, but he was afraid to give himself a voice. He was too innocent, and naive. However, all of this aside, he maintained a good reputation, even if it was not a high one, and he treated everyone equally, as if everyone had importance."

"You told me that wasn't commonly believed."

"It was not." He looks up at the dark sky for a moment. "The other was a femme. She was around his vorn, and also similar to myself. She was more outspoken, however. She belonged to the caste of nobles, and was allowed a voice as long as she stayed within the limits given to her. The two met when she first visited the Hall of Records, and she revisited many times just so she could see him."

"So they were good friends?"

"Yes. I got to know her as well, and she was very friendly, considering her ranking."

"Sounds like you were quite the trio."

"Yes... I suppose we were..."

She can tell he's bothered by something, but decides to leave it for now. One step at a time.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Yes, yes, very, very scrambled, but I'm workin' on a plot. Bear with me here!**

 **Question 1.1: Do you think I should introduce Aimi's family? If so, sooner or later? (voting ends June 4)**

 **Question 1.2: When and where would you like to see the other AOE Cybertronians introduced? I plan to do one at a time, maybe every three chapters or so.**

 **Question 1.3: Who wants Quintessons?! I'm going to input them but I'm curious to see.**


	3. Car Shopping

**A/N**

 **So Chapter 2 was like a post-prologue intro... Thank you for continuing to read even if it was kinda meh. I wasn't entirely sure what direction I wanted to go in, since I came up with so many.**

 **Anyway, have a fluffy relationship chapter. Inspired by my own randomly imagined prompt: Went car shopping with a semi.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 **Car Shopping**

* * *

"Why are we here?"

"Park around the corner and get your holoform out. We're going car shopping."

"'Car shopping'?"

"Yeah."

"I do not understand why."

He slows to a stop and releases her seatbelt, opening the door to let her down from the driver's seat. She walks around to his grill, where he's already materialized his holoform, a projected representation of himself currently in the form of a human.

"Come on, I'll tell you on the way back. And make some cash, too. About six thousand in hundreds."

"Humans do not usually-"

"I'm not usual."

"Granted," he vents, following when she turns around and walks down the street.

Parking at the entrance to a construction zone makes his current alternate form less suspicious, as it fits with the half-torn-down building.

She leads him down the road and around a corner, stopping on the sidewalk to look across the street at a Porsche dealership.

He looks at her eyes for a moment before looking at the dealership.

"You are going to need more than six thousand in hundreds."

"Nope."

No cars coming, they cross the street and she leads him through the dealership parking lot, crossing over another road to a used car lot.

"Hm..."

"What?"

He looks at her with wide eyes, as if surprised she acknowledged his presence.

"Nothing."

"If you say so..."

They stop in front of the cars parked under the overhang of the building of the dirt lot, him scanning as she simply looks around. The door of the building, obviously a rundown gas station, opens and slams shut, catching both of their attention.

"Hey! What you guys want, huh? You must be lookin' for a new car!"

That _man_. His scent is too strong and Optimus raises his helm, narrowing his optics at him.

Aimi smiles, however, and greets him with a friendly handshake.

Optimus pushes down the growl threatening to emerge, but he still watches closely.

"Aimi! Who's yer new friend?"

"Friend of Dad's."

"Orion," comes the correction, and Aimi manages to keep from showing any surprise.

"Yes. _Orion_ , this is Mr. Bolivia. He owns this place, and we're very good friends."

It still makes "Orion" uneasy when he looks at him while patting Aimi's shoulder.

"Well, I only let 'er call me that 'cause she Japanese. Customs, y'know. But you can just call me Bobby."

"No."

Aimi slaps the back of her hand against his shoulder.

"'Mr. Bolivia' is the correct way to address you, as we are only acquaintances."

To her relief, Bolivia gives a thoughtful expression and nods.

"Alright, then, I allow it. Now, I know you didn't come here just to see me. What d'you need?"

"Show us your latest treasure," Aimi throws out before Optimus can say anything else offensive.

"Right this way!"

He starts off towards the back and Aimi moves to follow him, only for Optimus to pull her back and turn her towards him.

"What?"

"He smells of mech."

"Well, he _is_ a dude."

"No, Aimi, a _mech_." He used her real name. He's serious. "I am aware of human scents, and his is ridden with an inhuman scent."

"What're you afraid of?"

"It could be a Decepticon."

"Can you find any signature?"

"...negative."

"Then until one of these pieces of slag turns into a giant robot and attacks someone, please try to be nice."

With that, she runs over to Bolivia, who waits until the Prime is there as well to pull the car cover off of the automobile hidden behind the gas station building.

"What is that?" Aimi points at it.

"You like it?"

"It's hideous. Absolutely hideous. I thought you were looking for a newer, smashed-up Camaro to restore."

"But it looks like a Camaro, runs like a Camaro. Ain't that enough?"

Aimi crosses her arms and sighs.

"We've been over this, like, four times now. Just because it _looks_ like a Camaro doesn't mean it _runs_ like a Camaro, or even _remotely_ as well. This," she points at it again, "is a horse. A beast. I don't want a beast. I want a monster. Tell me you have a monster."

He grins and puts on a show of a laugh, nearly annoying enough to coax a muttered swear out of Optimus. She can see it on his face.

"Oh, it's a good thing I do! I was just messin' with ya, didn't know you'd get so passionate about it! Right over here."

Behind the car is another, also under a cover, which he pulls off. She puts a hand over her spark and vents heavily.

"Bolivia, I love you so much."

"Yeah, you know ya do."

She walks around the car, tracing a finger over the smooth, sparkly, very dark purple paint as she goes.

"Hello, Z/28." She pauses. "Wait. How'd you even restore this so well?"

"Honestly, I got no idea."

Optimus quits listening and instead scans the vehicle. He's shocked and drawn to it at the same time, needing to get a closer look.

"This vehicle has a spark..."

"Has a what?"

He looks up, mentally chastising himself for processing out loud.

"I mean it has great power." He looks at Aimi, hoping she'll understand. "I can envision a vehicle's health without lifting the hood, and this one is fit."

The other one leans over to Aimi as Optimus walks around the car.

"Your father got any more odd duck friends?"

"No, just this one."

"Hm."

The mech looks over at them from the rear of the vehicle.

"I hear everything."

"But seriously, you think you can buy this? I'm lookin' for someone payin' nine grand on it."

"You can have eight."

 _What?_

"You got eight thousand on you?"

"Affirmative," and Optimus takes three rolls out of his jacket, tossing them to Bolivia and holding his hand out to him. "The keys, Mr. Bolivia."

* * *

"So that was fun. Wasn't it?"

"Quite."

She can almost see him frowning.

"You don't sound amused."

"You have taught me sarcasm. I have not yet mastered the tone of sarcasm."

"Right..."

She looks out the window and in the mirror back at the "new" car, which they managed to hook to the trailer-pulling device at the back of his vehicular form.

"You sure you got it hooked all the way?"

"I am certain."

She looks back out the front windshield before looking at the dashboard.

"You don't think it's actually a 'Con, do you? 'Cause, I mean, it could be a 'Bot, right?"

"I found no insignia. He could be a rogue or a bounty hunter, or worse."

"You sure it's a mech?"

"I am certain of that as well. ... May I ask a personal question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you so adamant about specifically _not_ driving a Mustang?"

"Well, let's just say that any Ford my family ever had didn't last very long and was a total piece of slag from day one. As for the Mustang thing, I believe they look so similar to Camaros for two reasons. One, Ford wanted a Camaro of its own, and two, they weren't creative enough to make their own frame style."

"I have compared images of every generation of both Mustangs and Camaros, taking release years into consideration. You very well may have a valid argument."

"Well, thank you. My family certainly didn't support my opinions enough to listen to my logic..."

They drive in silence for a few moments.

"I am sorry for your past familial circumstances."

"I know you are. Thanks."

She spots a semi approaching on the opposite road.

"You see that?"

"I do."

"Go ahead. I've been wanting to see this ever since you told me about it."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Ha ha, I'm leaving you there. Chapter Three is going to be fun, then it's back to serious matters.**

 **Question 2.1: Which Bayverse Optimus Prime do you favor, Peterbilt 379 or Western Star 5700xe? (*this is NOT a vote*)**

 **Question 2.2: Would you like to see characters not (currently) in Bayverse introduced in this story? If so, who would like to see? (voting ends May 31)**

 **Question 2.3: Do you think the Z/28 should be an Autobot or a Decepticon? Or maybe a rogue or bounty hunter as mentioned? (voting ends June 6)**


	4. Transformation

**A/N**

 **I have decided to make this chapter short so I can get it to you as soon as possible. I heard about the suicide bombing at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester, and I want to say I'm so very sorry for any loss you may have from that night. The people who did that are inhuman in my book. I hope this chapter gives you a moment to laugh and feel that everything is going to be alright. Because it is. God has all of you safe in His hand, and when the time is right, these terrorists will face the consequences.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Transformation**

* * *

The moment he scans the passing machine, the process begins.

The nose lifts and rounds as it extends forwards, the front fender is reversed and smoothed, and tattered paint is peeled off by the wind to reveal metallic blue and red.

Old smokestacks recede and the new emerge and build up and out, the lights and grill reassembled, and a thick metal visor comes down atop the windshield.

The final sound of transformation accompanies the donning of a silver Autobrand stamping out about the grill.

Aimi is jerked in her seat in the middle of this as his armor builds upon itself to increase his mass, and she lifts her hands off the wheel as it alters itself to a sleeker, cleaner design, with a second silver Autobrand in the center.

Once the sequence is finished and the final adjustments set, she lets out the breath she was unaware of holding and looks out the new side mirror to check on the Camaro. She sees it and sighs in relief, leaning back in the chair now simulated to look and feel like vinyl.

"Now that was insane. That was awesome, but insane."

"I am glad you approve."

He doesn't sound so beaten anymore.

"Do those kinds of transformations heal you or something?"

"Affirmative. It is unclear as to how, but scanning in such a way helps our plating repair itself."

"Why didn't you just do that after every battle, then?"

"Unfortunately, it is unclear exactly how much time must be passed before we are able to use that ability again. Doing so too often could possibly injure our transformation cog."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense."

They drive in silence for a while, Aimi getting used to the new seat and examining the new dash console.

Eventually, she hears him vent, and she recognizes it as the one he gives when he's holding back a chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"I have realized how great I am at multitasking. I once managed to waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at once."

She smirks. "What is this?"

"What is what?"

"Are you making a joke?"

"Perhaps."

She thinks for a moment before smirking. "I can keep secrets."

"You can?"

"Yeah. It's the people I tell them to who can't."

The deep rumbling from his chassis vibrates her seat and she grins.

"I once read a datapad about anti-gravity. I could not put it down."

"Wow," she fails to stifle her laugh. "Oh, I got one. An optimist believes we live in the best world. A pessimist is afraid that it might be true."

"You did that one just for me."

"I did. What else you got?"

"I would tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I would not get a reaction."

"Hur-hurr." Before she can think up another one, she spots an abandoned shed by the tree line in a field off the road and she points to it. "Down there looks perfect."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I hope that if you haven't heard from friends or loved ones who were at the concert, you find them well soon.**

 **No questions today, I just hope I brought a smile to your face.**

* * *

 **Votes**

 **Vote 1: Meet Aimi's family: _Sooner_ : 1; _L_ _ater_ : 2**

 **Vote 2: Non-AoE characters: _Prowl_ : 2; _Mirage_ : 1; _Wheeljack_ : 1; _First Aid_ : 1**

 **Vote 3: Camaro Z/28's identity:** **_Autobot_ : 1; ****_Decepticon_ _defect_ : 2; _rogue/neutral_ : 3**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C1) I'm so glad you think so! (C2) Thank you for understanding! (C3) I _did_ mean Chapter _2_! Thank you for pointing that out. And you are so welcome for putting Bobby in there. He cracks me up.**

 **To _Phoenix Izzy_ : (C1) Thank you! (C2) Yeah, I don't like fics with zero humor, but I want to make this one less lighthearted than my other ones. Thank you. (C3) Glad you liked it!**

 **To _Agent Frostbite_ : (C1-2) Thank you for your answers! It's a big help.**

 **To _LGTracy_ (guest): (C3) Thank you! And thank you for bringing me this word I never knew existed! ("svelte": slender and elegant) It's the perfect word to describe His Royal Highness. *grin***

 **Thank you all so much!**


	5. First Encounter

**A/N**

 **Thank you to all who have decided to read up to this chapter! I know it's a little of a rocky start, but you guys really help me out.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 **First Encounter**

* * *

He slows and glides to the side of the road, stopping and waiting for no traffic before he quickly transforms and leaves the highway, holding Aimi steady in one hand and the Camaro in the other. He slows down once the road disappears from view and he lifts the human to his shoulder, where she climbs on tentatively, slipping into the gap between his helm and his shoulder armor.

"You've really changed."

"I assure you, I am the same mech."

"Well, yeah." She looks down and he quickly brings his hand up when she almost falls. "Whoa…! You're taller, too."

"Just know that I feel much better."

"Oh, I'm sure you do. You're so shiny and colorful."

"Thank you." He smiles at her, carefully setting the car down beside the shed, and she pats his earpiece.

"Sorry, but you'll have to stay to this side of the shed. You're too easy to see in the open."

"I understand."

He holds his hand up to her and lowers her to the ground, then reaches into his subspace to give her bow back to her.

"Thanks. You keep watch, I'll check out the shed."

He nods and activates his wide-proximity scanners.

To Aimi's surprise, the inside of the shed isn't entirely empty. Or empty in the least. It's packed with boxes of what appear to be files, and one sheet of paper has been left lying on the desk at the back. She takes a look at it and frowns.

"'Project Iceman'? Weird... But it's marked classified, so I'll take it."

She folds it up and shoves it in her pocket, going over to the wall not blocked by stacks of boxes. There's a cabinet against it, doors wide open with the lock broken. There are a few pistols, a shotgun, and a rifle, and she takes one of the pistols, checking the barrel. Unsurprisingly, it's fully loaded. She looks back at the boxes.

"Who would want to guard classified files in the middle of nowhere?" She looks at the ammunition boxes. "With sabot rounds?"

"Aimi, come."

She looks at the door, then catches the sound of a helicopter approaching and grabs an ammo box before running out.

He sees the pistol and vents. "Where did you get that?"

"I-"

"Keep it."

"Where's the helicopter?"

He motions for her to climb onto his hand and he lifts her up to the roof of the shed.

From her perch she can clearly see the sky, and she spots a small form approaching, obviously a helicopter, but one unlike any she's ever seen before.

He activates and raises one plasma cannon, but she holds one hand up.

"Wait. You ever seen a helicopter like that?"

"Negative."

"Can you scan it?"

He does so, and lowers his cannon slightly.

"What is it?"

"It is Cybertronian. It is rather...familiar."

"Is it a 'Bot?"

"I am uncertain. I will approach if it lands."

She believes it to have passed them when it flies over to the forest behind her, but she quickly realizes otherwise when she hears the sound of a transformation sequence and the landing of something quite heavy.

They both turn, the mech raising his cannon again before moving farther from the field.

"Wait!" She jumps down and runs to catch up to him. "I'm coming too."

The final adjustments of transformation are being executed when they come up on the Cybertronian.

The mech, dark blue and black with dual blades hooked on his back, turns towards them and raises both hands, lowering himself to one knee.

"Please, I mean you no harm."

Aimi waits for a reply, and when nothing is said, she looks up at her guardian.

He studies the smaller Cybertronian for a long few moments of silence, then vents.

"Drift?"

He nods and stands.

"Affirmative, Sir."

"How did you find us?"

"Your signal came online two breems ago."

"Yes, I scanned a new alternate mode."

"Sir, did you say 'us'?"

"I did." He gestures to the human by his pede. "This is Aimi Hoshika."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **First AOE character introduced! *claps* I'm sorry this was a little late, I hope you liked it!**

 **Question 3.1: Why do you think there's a shed full of confidentiality in a forest/field off the highway?**

 **Question 3.2: What information do you think the Project Iceman document might hold?**

 **Question 3.3: What way can you think of that could possibly restore the Z/28 to literal life?**

* * *

 **Votes**

 **Vote 1: Meet Aimi's family: _Sooner_ : 1; _Later_ : 2 (5 days left!)**

 **Vote 2: Non-AOE characters: _Prowl_ : 2; _Mirage_ : 1; _Wheeljack_ : 1; _First Aid_ : 1 (voting ends tomorrow!)**

 **Vote 3: Camaro Z/28's identity: _Autobot_ : 1; _Decepticon defect_ : 2; _rogue/neutral_ : 3 (7 days left!)**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _Phoenix Izzy_ : (C4) Thank you, I tried!**

 **And to _tfandanimefan_ and _Kyuubi9841_ : Thank you for hitting "favorite"/"follow" on my story!**


	6. Files

**A/N**

 **For those of you who don't know (and you know who you are), this is a STORY,** _ **not**_ **a forum for posting your religious beliefs. Any reviews with such content, and** _ **especially**_ **ONLY such content, will be ignored and/or flagged for removal.**

 **Anyways, I'm going to try my best to write every day so you get a chapter sometime every week. My plan is to update on Mondays, but who knows how that'll turn out? *shrug* Here you go!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **Files**

* * *

"So why do you look like a samurai?"

Drift looks over at the human sitting on the large mech's shoulder.

"I appreciate their culture and their code. I wish to mirror their honorable ways on the battlefield."

"Okay... But how good of a fighter are you?"

"If you must know, I escaped my last battle-"

"I thought samurai don't run from fights."

He looks down at the small fire between them and vents. "Your guardian called a retreat."

She looks at the Prime. "You were there?"

"I was. It was my last battle as well."

"You mean the one where those humans were fighting alongside a 'Con?"

"Yes."

She starts, then pauses when she notices a familiar dimness to both mechs' optics.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

She wakes up to the racket of metal clanging and sliding on metal, and she quickly sits up, looking around until she spots the two mechs a few meters away, battling it out with Drift's swords. She sighs and stands, watching them for a few moments before raising her voice.

"What're you doing?!"

They halt and look at her, both venting.

"Training." Drift lowers his sword. "I fear that when I came out of hiding to follow Prime's signal, I may have gained the attention of nearby police officers. It is likely they have reported me and I am being hunted. If they do find us, I want us to be prepared."

"You were followed?"

"It is likely, yes."

"Then we need to go."

She runs into the shed and Drift looks up at the Prime.

"Is she always tense?"

He returns the sword to Drift. "She is very protective of me."

Drift pauses in the middle of hooking the sword on his back.

"She is?" He nods. "May I ask why?"

"It is unclear."

 _That_ , Drift processes, _or he does not wish to speak of it_.

Aimi comes out with an armful of files and looks up at the mechs.

"Drift, do you have a vehicle form?"

"Affirmative."

"Good. Because he can't fly. Now let's go."

* * *

Back on the road, she looks through the files she found, several marked with either "Project Iceman," "S7," or "Autobot/Decepticon Sightings." A couple appear to be just printer paper, with pencil rubbings of strange symbols and characters. She holds one up in front of the center console.

"You ever seen these?"

"I have. That is the language of the Primes."

"So you can read it?"

"Not well. I have not read anything in Cybertronian in a very long time, and those symbols are poorly written."

"What about these?" She holds up a second paper.

"That is Ancient Autobot. I have not seen those characters since long before the War, but they are easier to recall."

"Can you make out a word?"

"...you are holding it upside down."

"Oh." She turns the paper. "Sorry."

"It is understandable. My best translation is **muze** , for which the English word is 'look.'"

"'Look'? There must've been more."

"There is always more. Single word sentences are generally only used by sparklings."

She turns the paper back to herself and looks at where someone – obviously a human – wrote a note right next to it.

"It says it was found in...Bueng Kan?"

"Thailand."

"I've always wanted to go to Thailand."

"We are not going to Thailand."

"Why not? Not like we have anywhere safe here in the 'free country' of USA."

"We are not going, and that is final."

"Fine."

She starts reading another file, then pauses and looks at the dash.

"Is it because you can't fly?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **More light shall be shed on those files in the near future.**

 **Quick note: Yes, I am seriously developing a version of the base Cybertronian language for use in this story. Whether it will appear in others in the future, I have no idea. But any dialogue in BOLD is my Cybertronian. Take into consideration it would sound very, very different than how any of us could speak it, so know that if you read a word that strikes you as really funny, I don't take offense.**

 **No questions this chapter, I hope you all have a wonderful week!**

* * *

 **Votes**

 **We will officially be meeting Aimi's family _later_ on in the story.**

 **Non-AOE characters to be introduced later on will be _Prowl_ , _Wheeljack_ , _First Aid_ , and _Mirage_ , in that order. No more character requests as of now.**

 **Vote 1: Camaro Z/28's identity: _Autobot_ : 1; _Decepticon defect_ : 2; _rogue/neutral_ : 3 (vote ends _tomorrow night_!)**

 **Vote 2: the shed: _NEST cache_ : 1; _S7 cache_ : 2 (vote ends _June 15_ )**

 **Vote 3: "Project Iceman" file(s): _Megatron pre-Mission City_ : 1 (vote ends _June 19_ )**

 **Vote 4: revitalizing the Z/28: _Matrix of Leadership_ : 1; _electric shock_ (!): 1 (vote ends _June 21_ )**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _Agent Frostbite_ : (C5) Thank you for your answers! I especially like your idea about the Matrix.**

 **To _TFSTARFIRE_ : (C5) Thank you! I always look forward to posting the next chapter.**

 **To _Ekeifer_ : (C5) Aw, thank you. I certainly don't mind. It's hard to resist when typin'.**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C5) Those are good ideas. I look forward to what I come up with, too! And yes, I put Grimlock in the tags. I really want him in here eventually, but I'm working on devising a plan to get him in, so I'm not exactly sure when he'll "join the party." I just know that he will.**

 **And to _Jennybot19_ , _Ekeifer_ , _Jazzy757505_ , _TFSTARFIRE_ , and _Silverleone_ , thank you for hitting "favorite"/"follow" on my story!**

* * *

 **Speaking of June 21, who is PSYCHED for The Last Knight?! I AM! It'll probably end up being my inspiration for when I introduce Quintessons (which will be, like, a chapter NEXT YEAR or something).**


	7. Salida

**A/N**

 **I am so sorry this took me so long to write, I've been having writer's block on this and have been focusing more on my upcoming one-shots "** _ **Stargazer Meets Bath**_ " **and "** _ **Resident Cybercats**_ **." I haven't been doing my daily writing, and I would like to apologize for that. I'm getting longer work hours every week, but that's good because I'm really making progress on my First Car fund. I hope you all understand, and I thank everyone who has waited so patiently. It's really encouraging.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **Salida**

* * *

They drove all day, keeping as northwest as possible. Every few hours or so, they stopped for a short break.

Only twice was Aimi able to get into a gas station and sneak food and water. The first time, she was grabbed by the manager and when she got free and jumped into Drift, she had dropped her lifted items.

It worked much better with the Prime providing a distraction.

She got away with a couple of energy bars and a bag of beef jerky the second time, and then a large water bottle the last time.

The thievery put plenty of stress on her mentally as well as physically, so she's hardly paying attention to road signs, even sneaking in a light nap.

When she wakes up, it's dusk, and they're in a strange town, obviously a small one in the middle of nowhere. She sits up in his seat and looks around.

"Where are we?"

"Colorado."

"Oh. So you actually know this time."

"Affirmative."

She smiles slightly and rolls her eyes.

"Why are we stopped?"

"I have located an asset."

"... A what now?"

"An asset. I met him several Earth vorns ago. However, he is rather...eccentric. You may want to be wary around him, and take care what you say."

"Is he superstitious?"

"Yes."

"He know about you?"

"Yes."

"You don't think that could be a problem?"

"I believe he knows better than to announce our coordinates."

"Wait... Do you want me to go in by myself?"

"Not exactly. You once told me that eventually, I would need to trust that you can take care of yourself. Accompanying you in holoform is, as you humans say, the next best thing. However, I _will_ be maintaining constant scans of the area and the building."

"Noted. Does he know we're here?"

"Likely not."

"Great. What's his name again?"

The holoform materializes in the passenger seat and he looks at her.

"He is former Special Agent Seymour Simmons."

* * *

Former Special Agent Seymour Simmons is, as Aimi quickly learns upon introducing herself at his front door, a total screwball wacko.

He takes one look past her and the holoform, spots Optimus and Drift, and pulls them inside the small house. Door closed, he grabs her shoulders, looking into her eyes as if searching for something.

"What do you want? Why are you here? Why'd you bring your alien pals? They want something from me?!"

With a frighteningly animalistic snarl, the holoform surges forward, shoving Simmons against the wall and pressing his forearm to where his neck meets his jaw. The growling that follows catches even Aimi off guard.

"If you put another finger on her, I will sever it from your hand myself."

"Okay, okay, okay! I swear I won't! I promise!"

He leans a little closer, glaring.

"Humans do not fulfill their promises."

"Well, this one does! ...and your breath smells like aluminum."

"Good."

"That's a good thing?"

"That means I am healthy."

"Wait... Are you one of them?" He points to the door in a gesture to the vehicles outside.

"Perhaps."

"Oh, I see it now. Optimus Prime, nice to clash with you again."

"Unlikely."

He pulls back, releasing Simmons from the wall, and looks at Aimi.

"He is acceptable for now."

She nods. "Look, Mr. Simmons, it wasn't my idea to see you. I didn't even know you existed until five minutes ago."

"Right. So what do you want?"

"Well, maybe you could, uh..." she reaches into her pocket and unfurls one of the printer paper sheets, holding it up to him. "Help with this?"

He stares at it for a moment before taking it with both hands, then looking at her.

"Where'd you find this, huh?"

"In a shed out by the woods a few hours away from here. Do you know about it?"

"Yes. How did you find it?"

"We were just looking for a place to sleep."

"Oh, well how convenient for you."

Optimus growls and takes a step towards Simmons, who raises both hands.

"Sorry, sorry! It's now apparent that one of us here doesn't take sarcasm too well."

* * *

"Must we stay with Simmons?"

Drift, in his own holoform, is on the side of the room opposite Aimi, on the top bunk of the falling-apart bed Simmons gave them. Aimi got her own, though it was still old and rickety.

She watches the Prime's holoform complete another round of pacing before looking at Drift where he's sitting on the edge, ready to jump down.

"Yes. Now would you both _please_ go to bed so I can get some sleep?"

Prime stops and looks off to the side for a few moments. Aimi knows he's processing. He refocuses and walks over to the bed, looking up at Drift before ducking under the sheet.

While he doesn't actually gain any warmth from it, he does feel comforted.

Although, it would be more comforting to have his human with him, to be able to embrace her, as it maintains the same general effect as putting his real hand around her.

For now, he takes comfort in the darkness and the relief of recharge, knowing that at least she's in the same room, only a few strides away.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Yeah, I'm just kinda winging it right now, seeing where my mind takes me, trying to make progress towards my plans. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them.**

 **I will continue to ask questions in the future, but I will no longer be taking votes often. I will also have no update schedule, I will simply be posting when I've got a chapter finished, as sometimes it's quick and sometimes it's long.**

 **Enjoy your week!**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C6) Thank you! Thank you for understanding the time this'll take.**

 **To _Ekeifer_ : (C6) I totally understand forgetting to log in. I'm really sorry to hear about your condition. I have a friend who's mother is diabetic. I am very happy you've lived. I really hope you enjoy/enjoyed _The Last Knight_! I do love me a Decepticon defect. X)**

 **To _dragonsheep_ : (C6) Thank you! I will continue, don't worry! I like your ideas, especially about there being an NBE-2! I also love me some Matrix of Leadership. *grin***

 **To _hermonine_ : (C6) Thanks!**

 **To _Guest_ : (C6) Ha ha! I certainly tried! And, you know, I'm a HUGE sucker for vulnerable Optimus being overprotective of unstoppable human (unless it's a romance, in which case I only read because I don't see that it's a ship until I'm hooked on the story). He's just so cute. I _will_ keep going!**

 **And thank you to _dragonsheep_ , _RevlisFlow159_ , _LightExplosion_ , _M. Prime_ , _Smokey Smokes_ , _Ratchet's Sparkling_ , _Blackrose3107_ , _hermonine_ , and for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!**


	8. Project Iceman

**A/N**

 **Hey, look! We're actually going somewhere! And Optimus said he couldn't fly.**

 **I really hope you like this double-chapter-ness day! It's my gift to make up for all the no-chapter-ness days I've been giving you.**

 **(Re-posted because the doc had the wrong chap title.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **Project Iceman**

* * *

The rest of Simmons' house, which they're shown immediately in the morning, is the most confusing thing Aimi has ever seen.

Every wall is tacked with pictures, maps, newspaper sections, and the pieces of string and yarn that tie the purpose of it all together.

He hurriedly takes them through everything, hardly understandable, but the others are patient enough to wait him out.

Drift's confusion is as endless as Simmons' breath, Optimus is completely unimpressed, and just looking at it makes Aimi's brain hurt.

When it finally ends, he looks at them, one human and two holoforms.

"So what do you think?"

Aimi folds her arms over her chest. "I think you're insane."

Simmons takes a step towards her. "Did you not catch a single word I said?"

The Prime steps halfway in front of her, forcing down a growl.

"I understood every word. She simply lacks the same processing power as your mouth."

Knowing he would never purposely insult her, Aimi lets that one go, but Simmons looks at her.

"You let him talk about you like that?"

"He's my guardian. He means no harm towards me."

"Your guardian, huh? ... You still got those files on you?"

She reaches into her back pocket and pulls them out, unfolding them and handing one to him.

He looks at it for a moment.

"'Project Iceman.' Thought we were done with that after Megatron. Tell me, Aimi Hoshika. Does your _guardian_ know a way to get to Canada?"

He takes another step forward, sending Simmons an equal step back.

"I am aware of exactly one hundred and forty-two ways to get to Canada."

"Really?"

"Affirmative. Would you like a legal or illegal course of action?"

"Just tell us the fastest way to get to Churchill, Manitoba."

* * *

Their timing is perfect. The only problem Aimi has with the plan is that she wasn't informed, and the giant mech moves too quickly for her to process what's happening.

She can only trust him, and after clutching to his fingers for the longest fifteen seconds of her life, she's thrown back into his seat and she freezes.

The Prime completes the final adjustments of his transformation sequence and Aimi slowly brushes her short black hair out of her face, taking a startled look out the windshield at a door-like contraption lifting up from the floor far ahead of them, past lots of stacks of tightly-wrapped boxes.

"Did we just sneak onto a cargo plane in the middle of the night?"

"Affirmative."

The door shuts and locks, leaving the truck's center console as the only source of light in the cylindrical hull.

She nods, calmly looks at the console, and then gives the paneling under the steering wheel a firm kick.

"Have you lost your processor?!"

"Please, Akemi. Be gentle."

She pauses. "Really? Do you _know_ how much you weigh?"

"My weight has nothing to do with my sensitivity."

"Whatever."

He quietly rumbles something in Cybertronian and she sits back, folding her arms over her chest.

"I can't believe we're doing this..."

"Forty-five metric tons."

"What?"

"I weigh approximately forty-five metric tons."

Now it's her turn to rumble to herself, though it's more of a mutter.

"What was that?"

"I said, 'I was being sarcastic.'"

He starts to speak, but he's cut off by the whirring of the engines activating, and a few moments later, the craft begins to move.

Aimi reaches over and taps a dark part of the center console, which he lights up to reveal the time.

"Looks like our flight's on schedule."

" _Flight_?!"

Aimi jumps, twisting in the seat to look at Simmons, who ended up in the mech's cab instead of the passenger seat.

"Simmons! Don't scare me like that! Especially not with Protectobot Prime around."

A scoff is emitted from the console and Aimi raises an eyebrow at it.

"I am not one of the Protectobots."

Her eyes go wide. "That's actually a thing?"

Any response he makes is drowned out by the plane engines blasting into high gear.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Anyone wondering "Why such short chapters?!"? Well, I write short chapters because it helps my creativity.**

 **With mostly short chapters, I can put in as much as is necessary, without the threat of the chapter becoming too long, which I hate. I mean, if your 1-shot story is 30,000+ words...it should probably just be a 3-shot, at the least. Also, short chapters helps me manage my writing time and my readers' reading time. It's good to read, but it's good to get some sun, too. :)**

 **Who do you think will be the NBE-2?**

 **And who enjoyed The Last Knight? Because I did!**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To** ** _Agent Frostbite_** **: (C7) YES, I just HAD to put Simmons in there! Thank you, and I certainly will continue.**

 **To** ** _Crystal Blue Butterfly_** **: (C7) Hello! I'm glad you like this story! I'm trying to make this fic packed with their interactions, as I've seen fics that start with a focus on the main 'Bot and their human and then drift into trying to emphasize everybody involved and it really annoys me that there aren't more fics like the one I'm trying to create. I love Optimus and Aimi, too. I can't get over how I've managed to write banter (to be seen in later chapters) between the two. Thank you so much, and I'm really sorry this took me so long to get out here. (And crystal blue butterflies are my favorite. How'd you know?)**

 **To** ** _Ekeifer_** **: (C7) Whoops, I may have been a little indirect. When I said "I do love me some Decepticon defects," I meant for my story, not in TLK. There were none of those in that monster (monstrous in a good way, of course). As for 'Bee getting his voice back...I really believe it's up to the fans (especially fan WRITERS) to draw their own conclusion. My headcannon about that is that once his new vocalizer was installed, it needed time to connect to his systems and adjust in order to give him the appropriate sounds for voice. Hence it used Siri for the time being. Best use of Siri ever. To your comment about mechanoids (what I call humanoid Cybertronians) having the ability to become extremely attached and protective, I think you are absolutely right. That's my whole point for this fic, to take that element and make it more recognizable, and it will appear in my future fics, I'm sure of it. In fact, I do believe I portrayed it quite well in my post-AoE fic,** ** _Prime Meets Bath_** **, if you wanna check that out. I absolutely don't mind the insistence from others to write and post/publish more. It's motivation because it tells me I'm doing good. So thank you for that, and I'll try to update sooner/faster. (And I'm SO glad you enjoyed TLK. It's my new favorite.)**

 **Wow I type a LOT.**

 **And to** ** _Crystal Blue Butterfly_** **,** ** _BloodyGrim_** **,** ** _Echo the Ice Tiger_** **,** ** _JonPertwee-TomBaker-AreNumber1_** **, and** ** _3016_** **, thank you for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!**


	9. Living Cargo

**A/N**

 **Second chapter for today!**

 **I really tried to kind of explain a little more of what Optimus and Aimi's relationship is like, and I will continue to do so in future chapters. I really hate it when readers might read it the wrong way, so I'll clear it to you now, THIS IS NOT A SHIP FIC. Optimus and Aimi have an** _ **almost**_ **father-daughter-like relationship, more accurately an "** _ **overprotective and clingy half-time guardian who's 51% nanny**_ " **-"** _ **protective but confident full-time guardian who's 49% nanny**_ " **relationship. I would try less words, but...it'd be less effective.**

 **Also, really dumb chapter title. IDK \\(..)/**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 **Living Cargo**

* * *

The flight feels longer than it actually is, no thanks to Simmons' griping and whining, repeatedly beginning his sentences with "I can't believe."

After about twenty minutes of ignoring him, they both become agitated, and right as Aimi turns to face where he's pacing around the cab and snap at him, the Prime manages to drown out the plane's engines with his own, effectively startling both of the humans.

"Agent Simmons, I suggest you sit down and enjoy the fact that I have a cab before Aimi kicks you out."

He sits down slowly, then makes to say something else.

"And be quiet."

"I was just going to say I like your cab."

A moment of silence.

"Thank you."

Aimi turns back to facing the steering wheel, and an entire minute goes by before she leans towards the console and starts messing with the radio. Not even static comes through.

"Come on, I'm dyin' here. Play something."

The dial spins and she flinches back, Simmons calling up from the back.

"I don't think he's in the mood."

Aimi looks back at him and gasps.

"There's a fricking couch?!"

Not giving anyone a chance to respond, she all but launches from the driver's seat, straight into the cab, and nearly tripping over herself.

"Why didn't you tell me? Move over, crazy."

She pushes Simmons from the middle so she can occupy one side. She can still hear the semi's engine, and by the low purr emanating from it, she guesses he's pleased if she is.

"I was aware of humans greatly enjoying such luxury, but I had not expected you to be one of those humans."

"Never assume, Prime." Simmons pulls one leg up and drapes it over the other, interlocking his fingers. "The ladies never like that. Unless you assume correct, in which case–"

"Did I not tell you to be quiet?"

He shuts his mouth and another minute goes by.

"How long is this flight?"

"Seventeen hours and thirty-two minutes."

"Eighteen hours?!" Aimi buries her face in one hand. "Oh, Primus have mercy..."

* * *

It really isn't all that bad, once Aimi remembers the deck of cards she'd left in the Prime's glove box before his first transformation in her presence. Fortunately, it's still in there.

Now, two more hours into the flight, the three of them — the Orion holoform included — are engaged in a rather vicious game of War, the other two decks provided by the same holographic system that Optimus uses to simulate a human representation of himself.

Of course, Simmons uses this logic to try and accuse the Prime of rigging or swapping cards, as neither he nor Aimi would be able to notice. But even he can't disagree that the mech would rather offline himself than cheat at a game such as War.

That isn't to say he wasn't concerned about the name of the game, but he dismissed it fairly quickly, and — _somehow_ — decided to teach the lesson that real war was very unlike the aforementioned game.

It rendered them all quiet for a few moments, then Simmons said something about him wanting to join the military when he was a kid and the game continued.

Simmons and Aimi came very close to being drained of their piles, and at the last moment they both were gaining cards back.

They're still in that game, the same game they started half an hour ago, and the only time Aimi has ever seen the Prime so worked up was when they had been bantering and she joked about leaving him to fend for himself.

He had been so shocked and distraught, and refused to leave her "field," as he called her personal space, even when she assured him that she wasn't going anywhere.

She's never teased him like that since.

Except now is very different than then. Then, he was miserable. Now, he looks about ready to vault the table and strangle them.

Or Simmons, at least.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I really wanted to input some dialogue for that last part, but I just couldn't figure a way. I hope you still liked it, and I apologize for the wait on this.**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **I would like to dedicate this empty Replies section to thanking** ** _Autobot Allie 17_** **. Thank you for following me as an author, and I welcome you into the Starimus ranks as...Follower** ** _Autobot Allie 17_** **.**

 ***salutes***

 **(^^)/**


	10. NBE-2 (Part 1)

**A/N**

 **I apologize for making you all wait so terribly long for this, life's been crazy.**

 **Beginning inspired by Anjelah Johnson's story about her train trip to Paris.**

 **Hey, look, giveaway title. ^_^**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 **NBE-2**

 **Part 1**

* * *

The flight was eighteen hours long.

Even a ten-hour flight is unbearably long.

A ten-hour _anything_ is _terrible_.

Everyone likes a massage, right? One could go for an hour, two hours, maybe even three.

But _ten hours_ , your skin might _fall off_.

Aimi now knows this from personal experience.

After the first eight hours, Simmons decided to go for a nap, which translated into a deep slumber once he got the front passenger seat to lean back at an angle of about one hundred and fifty degrees or so.

Aimi thought it was a good idea, but preferred the couch, and accepted "Orion"'s offer to help her fall asleep by relieving the tension in her shoulders.

She fell asleep, alright, as he advanced right to a full-on back massage.

It became apparent to her when she woke up that he hadn't stopped or even lessened his efforts at all, as she could barely feel her spine.

"How long have you been doing that?"

He pauses, checking his chronometer before continuing.

"Six joors."

"What?!"

She tries to push herself up but finds herself too numb to do so.

"Are you alright?"

She glares at him and he stops rubbing immediately.

"You do realize a massage is supposed to be three hours at max, right?"

"You were enjoying it, and it kept you in recharge. I saw no reason to stop."

"Obviously you have no idea what such treatment does to a human. Help me sit up."

"You have made it very clear in the past that you require no help to do anything."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Uh-huh. And when do you ever _not_ help me anyway?"

"That is fair."

This time he helps pull her up, and she pushes her legs off the couch so she can sit properly.

"There. That's much better. Is Simmons still asleep?"

"Affirmative."

"Good. Let's hope he stays that way for the next four hours..."

* * *

Fortunately, that was the case.

Or at least for three hours.

After three hours of completely meaningless conversation, Simmons joined in for the last hour, after which they were nothing but sick of being on that plane.

Figuring out how to get off undetected, however, proved to be quite a challenge.

The landing was a little rough, and Simmons proceeded to flip out over the lack of an escape plan, while Aimi proceeded to smack him upside the head.

"Simmons, calm down! We're not gonna get caught," she said. "Even if they do see us, we're too fast for them."

He muttered something about being "dragged into this" and Aimi took her usual position in the driver's seat.

Everything after the lowering of the door is a blur for Aimi, and she really doesn't feel like inquiring as they drive down a road gently winding through the wilderness. She's simply too exhausted.

"Are we there yet?"

"I see you have maintained the energy required to be annoying."

"So are we?"

"Patience, Akemi." A low rumbling emanates from the speakers. "We will arrive shortly."

She sits back, foot tapping lightly on the gas pedal.

"If you want me to go faster, I must inform you that doing so would cause centrifugal force stronger than you, and I do not enjoy things, sentient or otherwise, slamming into my doors."

Simmons looks at Aimi, eyes wide, and she quirks an eyebrow at the center console.

"For your information, I happen to have a very solid center of gravity. And, since you're such a textbook driver, I am wearing a seatbelt. I doubt I'll go anywhere."

"I will not be driving any faster, for your safety and for mine."

"Fine," she sighs. "Can we at least get an estimated time of arrival?"

"Without interference, we should arrive in less than two breems."

"Good. I need to stretch my legs soon."

"I can–"

"No! No stopping! I'll get plenty of exercise when we get there. Have to, if I wanna keep up with you."

"Have I not adapted my gait to your walking speed?"

"You couldn't if your life depended on it. It's just too great a size difference, but it's not like I can't walk at a brisk pace. It'll be fine."

He mutters a brief response that sounds Cybertronian before they fall into silence again, save for the rumble of the dirt road under his tires.

After a few minutes of watching the forest going by on her side, Aimi looks over at Simmons, about to inquire why he hasn't said anything since they got off the plane. She stops when she sees he's observing the forest as well, and quickly decides it's better to not get him started on anything.

It certainly is much easier to get him talking than it is to get him to shut up, and no one wants to deal with that.

"Are we there yet?"

A burst of static – likely to cover up some Cybertronian swear – erupts from the speakers, making both of them jump in their seats. When the static clears, it leaves them open to hearing a brief, admittedly frightening snarl.

"Simmons–!"

"Sorry, sorry! Just...wanted to see what would happen..."

A growl, obviously a warning, and he visibly shrinks back a slight bit.

"If you provoke me one more time, you _will_ be walking."

"Hey, calm down." The growling halts at Aimi's voice, and she looks pointedly at Simmons, jabbing a finger at him. "And you, not another word. I'm tired of you two fighting like children."

"You have not seen me in battle."

"Hush!"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I decided to split this into two chapters because...well, because I felt like it would help with my writing process.**

 **And also because I miss writing back to my reviewers.**

 **So, Part 2 will follow shortly. Maybe. Might actually be a while, but...WE SHALL SEE.**

 **Also, finally learned how to spell "centrifugal." \\(^^)/**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _Ash_ (guest): (C9) Well, I certainly tried. And I can't wait either!**

 **To _Ekeifer_ : (C9) I do love me some card deck War. I hope I can update soon, too, but you've seen how that turns out... XD**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C7) I totally understand crazy-town-ness, that's why I haven't updated in forever. And yes, I do plan on putting in more characters from the first three movies. (Like the Witwickies and Mojo, Miles and Leo (maybe), and definitely my favorite soldiers, Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps. I'll throw in some Mearing and Galloway if I ever need an antagonist for our dear 'Bot leader.) (C8) IT IS A FRACTION OF A CRUISE SHIP. Shouldn't un-Earthly metals weigh a ton more than Earthly metals? But I'm sorry, the chapter title "Insanity" is actually for a later chapter. I just confused myself as I was putting it up here. But I couldn't agree more about Simmons, and I am of the firm opinion that given the right circumstances, Optimus likes to plot instead of plan. As for Aimi's shoes, she's a boot person, so at this point in the story, she's got black ankle-height boots, and because you've given me the opportunity for a description, make them a bit gothic in your mind. (C9) I basically stalk their website and consult the pictures whenever I'm trying to draw a semi, because Peterbilts just don't do it for me since AoE. But I could see him having a TV and microwave, just not at this point. Maybe a post-War upgrade if the story allows. You're exactly right, though I may do a little between-the-chapters thing where I explain the Optimus-Aimi relationship in detail. Because people will twist things if not said just so and I do NOT want anyone begging at my feet for this to turn into a ship fic. BECAUSE IT IS NOT. You made sense, and yes, the feels will abound, but soon. Soon I say, there will be angst and hurt and darkness because I need to write something that isn't happy all the time (because nothing is). I'm glad you love it, though!**

 **And to _Macdisney123_ , _Dusk Spark_ , _Blackrose13_ , _Barricade Pax_ , _LadyMalfoySnape_ , _Sparda-Girl_ , _zmeaa04_ , _Americaiuno_ , and _phoenixgirl102_ , thank you for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!**


	11. NBE-2 (Part 2)

**A/N**

 **And at last, Part 2. About the length of two of my chapters. (^_^)**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 **NBE-2**

 **Part 2**

* * *

Sure enough, it wasn't long before they came to a clearing. Well, not really a clearing, but it was much less infested with vegetation than everywhere else, so it was close.

They slowed to a stop and the two humans practically fell out of the semi, Aimi dropping to lie on the grass while Simmons leans against a tree. Both of them sigh in relief at the freedom of being outside after eighteen and a half hours.

Aimi hears the Prime's transformation sequence and sits up, looking around.

Off to the left is the foot of a steeply rising mountain, and embedded in the wall is an enormous, very much out-of-place metal door.

"What is that?"

In the center is a symbol, a combination of the letter S and the number 5, not unlike the symbol they had seen on the documents Aimi took from the shed. Those were apparently the Sector Seven symbol.

So what does that say about this?

"Sector Five?"

"There's more?"

"Of course there's more! We were called Sector Seven because we were the seventh of the groups directed under the seven who started the whole organization with NBE-1 and that...AllSpark thing."

"So there're more guys just like you?"

"Well, no one's quite like me."

Aimi's distracted by the mech advancing on the door and scanning it.

"Couldn't agree more... What're you doing?"

He's stepped back, activated one plasma cannon, and leveled the weapon at the door.

"Entering."

"Wait, don't you think we should-"

She reflexively ducks when a massive blast erupts, echoing off the mountainside. When she pulls back into her previous position, she sees the door has vanished, having been blown into the compound, and Optimus straightens, obviously satisfied with himself.

"We could have at least _tried_ knocking."

"I scanned the interior. There is no one inside."

She pushes herself off the ground and walks towards him, but is, however, cut off by Simmons' power-walking pace.

"Oh, that was a great idea. Yeah, let everyone within a fifty-mile radius know we're blowin' stuff up!"

With a vented growl, the Prime turns to look down at Simmons, narrowing his optics at him as he lifts one hand to grasp his sword's hilt over his shoulder. He pulls it up slightly and takes a step towards the human, suddenly impressing his size and power on Simmons, who spins on his heel and walks right back to his tree.

Today is not the day he'll be taking on a thirty-two-foot alien robot bearing a sword.

 _Nope_.

Satisfied, the Prime secures the blade back into position and goes back to the blown entrance.

Aimi makes to follow him, but stops to look back at Simmons.

"You coming?"

After a few moments of indecision, he sighs and follows them inside.

Despite having to duck a little to get through the doorway, the corridors are just large enough to allow the Prime to stand comfortably.

The first thing Aimi notices is that the compound really isn't that big. As far as she can see, it's just one moderately long corridor with a room at the end, though sealed closed with a door just like the front had been.

"Seems straightforward enough."

Having been examining the wall, she just barely stops herself from walking into the mech's heel strut.

"Why the hesitance?"

She looks up and sees him staring intensely at the door, audio dials spinning and olfactory sensors testing the air.

"I swear, if we came all the way here just for you to think twice about it–"

"Simmons, shut _up_!" He flinches and Aimi shakes her head, looking back up at Optimus. "Well?"

"There is a mech inside."

"You said no one was here."

"Some have the ability to hide their heat and insignia signatures. However, I possess a stronger olfactory system than most, and although his scent is faint, I can smell him."

"And are you just gonna blast the door open like you did with the first one?"

"No. I believe a safer approach would be to use my sword."

He pulls the blade off his back, slides the tip into a crack between the door and the wall, and pushes it until he can pry the door open.

It opens fairly easily, and he immediately assumes a defensive position.

After a moment, he lowers his sword, stepping forward to allow the humans to follow.

Aimi takes a sharp breath in when she comes around his heel strut.

It's a very large room, with an open area between raised walkways, and the floor nearer to the entrance is completely barren.

In said open area is a massive white form, moving slightly in a familiar pattern: venting. The form, the mech, is breathing.

Upon closer examination, they can make out the pieces of the mech's frame. He's positioned on his knee struts, servos held up to the sides by thick chains around his wrists.

He moves, straightening just a bit as he raises his helm to look at them. At the same moment, Optimus readies his sword. In response, the white mech attempts to raise his hands in an act of surrender.

"Wait, wait. You see I am completely unarmed, don't you?"

Optimus moves closer, lowering his sword but quite obviously pressing his field against the other's. The mech visibly attempts to pull away, but he's held stationary by the chains.

"Optimus..."

He ignores Aimi's warning tone, proceeding into interrogation mode.

"What is your designation?"

"Skyfire. Did she just call you 'Optimus'? As in Optimus Prime?"

"I ask the questions here." The growling undertone has the mech's blue optics widening, as well as Aimi's patience thinning.

"Optimus."

"What is your affiliation?"

"Autobots." No response, which automatically translates to disbelief. "I am an Autobot, I swear. You don't plan to deactivate me, do you?"

"No." He puts up his sword before seizing the mech by his chassis armor, now growling entirely. "Where is your insignia?"

"Optimus, let him go."

"Where is it?"

"Optimus _Prime_!"

He looks back at Aimi.

" _What_?" He flinches at his own tone.

Aimi gives him an expectant look and he vents, releasing the mech before looking at him, apologizing with a softened expression and the action of brushing off the mech's chassis and shoulder armor.

He takes a step back, venting again before continuing in a less hostile tone. "Where is your insignia?"

"I have one on both of my wings... Could you please undo the chains?"

He looks back down at Aimi, who nods. He turns back and does as requested, unraveling the chains and breaking them where they could not be unraveled.

Likewise, the mech, Skyfire, does as requested and turns, allowing them to see the insignias on his rather broad wings.

"You are a flier?"

"Yes."

"Seeker?"

"Shuttle, actually. I can use mass displacement quite well."

Once back outside, Skyfire is able to stretch out, but pays special attention to his wings, checking every piece of them to insure no damage has been done during his time in that compound.

While Aimi likes the idea of having someone to fly them to places, Optimus doesn't seem very interested in keeping him around. Aimi assumes that's just 'cause Skyfire's a mech, who would pose more of a threat to her than a femme would.

Nonetheless, the Prime is a mech of knowledge, and the more he knows in a situation, the more solidly he can make decisions. So, of course, he looks past the mech's preening to ask more questions.

"How long have you been in Sector Five?"

"Uh..." Aimi concludes that he obviously wasn't expecting said preening to be interrupted. "I don't know. A few vorns, maybe? I don't have much memory left from before, so I can't recall how or when I got there. I just remember them all deserting me, and the fact that I'm an Autobot. Loyal, I might add."

"Telling me you are loyal will not earn my trust."

"Yes, I…I gathered that."

It must have been absolutely killing Simmons up until this point, because he can't help but interject: "Guys, can we go now? I feel like we're on the brink of disaster!"

Aimi gives him a sharp look. "You always feel like you're on the brink of disaster."

"How would you know that?"

"I was trapped in a small space with you. For _eighteen hours_."

Before it can turn into an argument, Skyfire steps forward, earning a sudden movement from Prime, who steps between him and the humans.

"Come on, relax. I was just going to say the human is right. We should be going. Do you have coordinates for me?"

"I need to contact Drift."

He steps off to the side to do so, but never takes his optics off the other three during the entirety of the comm. call.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Look at all the pretty words! It took a lot longer than it should've, but I finally got it out!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the surprise that was Skyfire. Because Jetfire just didn't cut it.**

* * *

 **Review Replies**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C10) Yes, after the angst is all said and done, I'll be more free to "release the fluff," as I say. Did you enjoy the surprise of Skyfire?**

 **To _Ekeifer_ : (C10) I'm glad to hear that, but please don't hurt yourself! But yes, I like to imagine Optimus would put on the intimidation act every time after a few bad impressions. In Simmons' case, it's a lot, so I just can't help but form a sort of rivalry between the two. I'm also very glad you find the dynamics of this Optimus-Aimi relationship interesting. I certainly do try, I can't help but throw my headcanons of psychological Cybertronian behavior into it full-on. For instance, yes, he listens to Aimi (and somewhat "obeys" her), but he _is_ a mech, so at the same time he has some issues with pride/self-esteem/trust, and in this case issues with _damaged_ pride/self-esteem/trust. Bottom line is, I just love pouring out my ideas into my writing in a way that makes people have to think a little sometimes. Well, if you notice/have noticed any missing/unneeded words or letters, please let me know where so I can fix it.**

 **(Wow, only two reviews that time... _What happened_?)**

 **And to _Photon Stars_ , _Of-Light-and-Shadow_ , _Waterfront_ , _IndigoMona_ , _.7_ , and _Sephideth_ , thank you for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!**

 **I sincerely appreciate everyone who leaves a review, especially those constant reviewers. You all are a big part of what keeps me writing!**

* * *

 **Announcements**

 **Yes, I have announcements today!**

 **First, since I have returned to school and I still have the job I started in the summer, my updates will be far apart, so please expect only once a month. It isn't guaranteed what day I'll be updating on, and I might have two updates in a month sometimes, so be sure to check regularly. Once a week or once a day, I don't care. Whatever's convenient.**

 **And second, I'm going on a vacation in a couple of weeks. My first time in Florida! But that means I will have lots of writing time, and I plan to use it wisely to try and finish some other one-shots I've got going, as well as advance this story.**

 **(Mini Announcement: One of the aforementioned one-shots is a little collaboration with my good friend _A_ _gent Frostbite_!)**


	12. Flight

**A/N**

 **I begun this chapter during the first of three plane rides (to Dallas to meet with some family, then to Panama, and then back to home), so I figured it was only fitting that, especially after last chapter, I set this one during the flight with Skyfire.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 **Flight**

* * *

Unlike the cargo plane they'd taken to get to Canada, Skyfire's shuttle mode sports windows. Only Aimi is really interested in looking through them, but that's good enough for him.

As Skyfire had said before, he does use his species' mass displacement ability quite well, almost quadrupling his size to allow even Cybertronian passengers onboard.

This flight is much more exciting than the one on the cargo plane, and certainly less restricted — Aimi had noticed Optimus' vent of relief when he boarded, finding the interior spacious enough for him to move if

he gets uncomfortable.

But no one's calling him claustrophobic.

While Aimi watches the ground below, she observes the others out the corner of her eye.

Simmons is, of course, nervously looking around Skyfire's interior, probably waiting for him to turn off course and land somewhere where he can either dispatch them all or fly off without them. But Skyfire doesn't, and Simmons glances uncertainly at Optimus a few times, as if expecting him to be an early warning signal.

Optimus, however, is too busy conversing with Skyfire to notice Simmons' fidgeting. Over the course of the flight, the two discuss mainly the state of the War, as Skyfire must be updated. Skyfire is interested in talking about other things, though, such as what he remembers about Cybertron and what he thinks about Earth. But when he comments about anything regarding the nature of Earth, Optimus goes silent, as if such topics are unworthy of his attention.

But Aimi knows better. She knows thinking about the beauty of Earth makes his spark ache. He appreciates the beauty of Earth, and it's something he can't indulge in anymore.

So, he stays silent until Skyfire finishes, then takes the opportunity to interrupt any further speech the mech might attempt.

"Skyfire."

"Yes?" The voice seemed to come from all around them, but the Prime keeps his optics toward the helm of the shuttle, which, from the outside, somewhat resembles the cockpit of an Earth jet.

"Before the War, did you ever visit Iacon?"

"Did I ever visit? I wish. I was a little busy working toward getting into the Elite Guard so I could go to the fleet academy there. I was working on changing my flight mode to a jet, but I never perfected it. I almost had it though, but then the War happened. So no, I never got the chance to go to Iacon."

Now Aimi sees why Optimus wasn't thrilled about Skyfire being a flier. Her first impression of the type is that they're very self-centered, but she has to wonder if they're all like that.

"What about you, Sir? Did you ever go to Iacon?"

"I resided in Iacon."

"Really? You were in a high caste?"

"Negative. I went to Iacon to attend the academy there. My mentor gave me my living arrangements."

"Your mentor in Iacon gave you a place to recharge? Yeah, and the caste system was made to raise the morale on Cybertron."

"The caste system was the end of peace on Cybertron."

For a moment, the only sound is the high whir of Jetfire's engines.

"I was joking."

"I know."

"So...I think I got this. You don't take humor, and your human friends don't talk much. Is that basically it?"

No comment for a moment and Aimi looks to see a strange look in the Prime's optics. She sighs and decides to say something for him.

"Trust me, you don't want that one talking." She points at Simmons. "Once he starts, he doesn't stop."

"Is he funny?"

"Try wacky."

Simmons sits up from his position with his knees pulled up to his chest, and points at Aimi. "I am _not_ —!"

"Sh! Do not speak!"

His eyes go wide and he huffs, sitting back with his arms crossed.

"And yes, you _are_ wacky, whether you think you are or not."

"Whatever. Are we there yet?"

Aimi glares over at him, about to tell him to shut up again but interrupted by Skyfire.

"If 'there' is Salida, then yes."

"Well, finally."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So now you know where Chapter 7 got its title. And, of course, this is posted over two weeks after said vacation. OH WELL.**

 **And if anyone's wondering "What happened to that Camaro," just hit "Next Chapter"!**


	13. Kiishi (But He Prefers Vahsk)

**A/N**

 **Yeah. This is the reveal chapter.**

 **TEAM CAMARO! Also Team Matrix, but Team Camaro is way better.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

 **Kiishi (But He Prefers "Vahsk")**

* * *

Skyfire, cloaking his form before coming within eyesight of Salida, lands in the small forest stretching around the town.

"Skyfire, remain in flight mode. We will return shortly with Drift, and without Simmons."

Optimus looks down at Simmons and Simmons returns his pointed look.

"Getting rid of me already? But it's been _so much fun_."

"Do you wish to come with?"

"Let me think about that for a moment. _Heck no_."

"Then go home."

"I _will_. Gladly." He walks out, turning for just a second at the bottom of Skyfire's ramp to call up "And don't you ever come for me again!"

Aimi believes it won't be in anyone's interest to be around him again anytime soon.

With Simmons finally gone, Aimi and her charge can advance on their objective without worrying about him nagging them with the chance of being seen.

Leaving Skyfire hidden by his cloaking device, Optimus and Aimi meet Drift at the other end of the forest area they had landed in, about a mile away. When they get there, Drift seems a bit startled to see the human sitting on the mech's shoulder guard, holding on to his earpiece to avoid slipping off.

"Drift, report."

He brushes it off and nods.

"We may have a slight problem. The Z/28 Camaro's...spark has been attempting a reboot."

"Elaborate."

"Apparently, the spark was not completely extinguished, as I had believed when I first noticed the vehicle to be of Cybertronian material. It has been trying to charge itself, but Earth's atmosphere lacks the electrons necessary for a quarter-charge. I believe it is able to gather to a fifth-charge, but it burns itself out before it can charge any further, then repeats the process."

"Let me see him."

Drift steps aside, revealing the Camaro behind his pedes, and Optimus lowers Aimi to the ground.

"You are certain it is a mech?"

"Unless you believe my olfactory sensors to be malfunctioning."

It was a statement, but the look that the Prime gives Drift on his way by solidifies the questioning undertone. Drift's response is to take a step back and watch silently as the larger mech kneels down to the vehicle and scans it.

Aimi moves to where she can clearly see the Camaro, and she notices a faint blue light emanating from the undercarriage, though it could be from within the frame. The light gradually brightens, then disappears with a sound not unlike a muffled lightning strike. Aimi could only barely hear it, but both Cybertronians flinch at the emittance, so she concludes the sound must have also reached a pitch that they can hear but humans can't.

"For how long has this been transpiring?"

"Three joors."

"I will reboot him myself."

"Prime!" Drift's tone turns urgent, like a warning. "You know how dangerous that is!"

"Not with my spark, Drift."

Drift pauses, then hesitates. "The Matrix of Leadership?"

"The Matrix possesses the collective power of thirteen sparks, more than enough to reboot a Cybertronian."

"Is it even possible to reboot another when they are in their alternative form?"

Instead of answering, Optimus retracts the armor on his chassis to reveal his spark chamber and, in consequence, the Matrix.

Aimi moves again so she can see, and she can't explain to herself what it looks like, his spark, the Matrix, the very inner workings of his chassis. She can only explain the color of the light emanating from the two power sources.

The Matrix radiates a bright blue, which doesn't surprise her in the least, but not his spark. His spark is silver, with just a hint of dark blue.

It isn't what she had been expecting.

Her attention is drawn to the Matrix, however, and she watches with wide eyes as it's lifted from his spark chamber and lowered towards the form on the ground. As it's drawn nearer to the struggling spark, it begins to grow brighter, and Drift takes another step back.

The spark goes dim, and when the Matrix is a little less than a meter from the vehicle, the Matrix flashes a white so bright Aimi is terrified for five awful long seconds that she might now be completely blind.

Fortunately, when she opens her eyes, she can see. In fact, for a moment she swears she sees everything in more detail than she could have imagined, but then it's gone and she dismisses it as an effect of the flash.

There's a new sound. A low, reverberating purr. To Aimi, it is unmistakeable.

The Z/28's engine is running.

The Matrix is returned to its carrier and Optimus has barely stood up before the sounds of transformation begin. All three of them flinch back, the Prime and Drift drawing plasma cannon and swords — respectively, of course — and Aimi drawing the pistol she'd found at that Sector shed.

The Camaro becomes humanoid, rising up to just about half Optimus' height, and it's confirmed to be a mech. He takes one look at the weapons aimed at him and takes a step back, raising both hands.

"Whoa… What'd I do?"

"Identify yourself."

"Oh. It's...it's, uh... Vahsk. My name's Vahsk."

"What is your given designation?"

"What? That's my Estonian name. It means 'copper.' I quite like copper, actually." Optimus growls and the small mech drops to one knee strut. "Okay, my real name is Kiishi, please don't hurt me."

Drift snorts, raising one servo to attempt to hide a smile but only covering half of it. The mech — Kiishi — sees it and frowns.

"Oh, you think it's funny? You wouldn't be amused if _your_ creators gave _you_ a ridiculous name!"

"I did not say it was amusing."

"Well, your faceplates say it plenty."

Drift sheathes one sword and plants the other one in the ground next to him, freeing his hands for him to mimic the Japanese gesture of respect.

"My apologies. I am sorry that your creators decidedly designated you the Cybertronian word for 'squeak.'"

"Yeah, you are."

Aimi steps forward. "Wait. Your name means 'squeak' in Cybertronian?"

The mech frowns at her now.

"Yeah. And what'd your creators name you? Some elegantly pronounced name that translates to 'glory' or 'power' or something regal like that?"

"My name is Aimi. It means 'love,' 'affection,' and 'beautiful' in Japanese."

"Oh, you have no idea how lucky you are."

His attention is brought back to the Prime when another, louder growl comes from him.

"Whoa... Why d'you keep growling at me?"

"Aimi has been betrayed by her society's government, abandoned by her family, and she is now illegal because of her involvement with me. She is only fortunate because she is alive and appreciates what she has." He's silent for a moment and backs away just a bit. "She has me, and if I ever suspect that you may mean her harm in any way, I will correct you."

"Oh. I'm...I'm sorry. I thought all humans had it pretty good compared to us, and especially compared to me."

"What is your affiliation?"

"Uh... What's yours?"

"You first."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I wanted to be nice to all you readers of mine, so I ended this chapter on this lovely little attempt at a cliffhanger. Might not have been worth the wait, but I don't expect the next time gap to be so darn long.**

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **To _Waterfront_ : (C11) Yeah, I apologize for the wait, but yes, Skyfire! I'm glad you're excited.**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C11) Yes, the Optimus vs Simmons will be recurring, but not constantly. And I might have Grimlock speak, haven't really decided yet, but he certainly won't be dumb, as everyone knows Cybertronians are ridiculously intelligent.**

 **And to _Pegadron123_ , _JessieBWriting_ , _Hope Evernight_ , _SmokedSalmonSushi_ , _octoberbaby91_ , _C._ , _Lunawolf200_ , and _Just2aw3s0me_ , thank you for hitting "follow"/"favorite" on my story!**

* * *

 **Special Request**

 **I must request some prayer for an awesome author here on , the kind Indigo Callahan. They have found out a friend of theirs has died in the past few days, and I am praying for them, their family, and their friend's family. I hope some of you will join me in this prayer, it does really help, I have experienced it myself, just not to this degree. Although they have put their stories on hold, I highly encourage you guys to check those out, especially one of my favorite fan fictions of theirs, "Can't Hold Us" (109 chapters!). They are a wonderful writer and I feel so terrible that this has happened to them. Please show them some love and support, and if you want, tell them Starimus sent you with some extra love.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**

 **Yeah, I'm taking chapter titles away, at least until this story is finished and I can assign each chapter the appropriate title. Hope you guys don't mind.**

 **But good news, you can now find me on Spotify!**

 **I am also on Google+, giving spoiler-free news updates on the Transformers cinematic universe (and other random TF news) when it arises.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

It only takes flared armor and a short stare-down to wrench an answer from the small mech.

"Okay, okay. I... I don't have an...affiliation. It's just me. I guess you can say...I'm neutral."

That doesn't seem to ease the Prime's anxiety much, but he does settle his armor.

"See?" Aimi looks up at him. "He's not a Decepticon. You can chill now."

He vents and takes a step back. "Stand up."

Vahsk does so quickly, and the Prime studies him for a moment before turning and walking back the way he and Aimi came.

"It seems we are leaving." Drift watches him for a moment, then looks at Vahsk. "I advise you to join us, but do so with caution. He has been rather...tense lately."

"Has he? I haven't really noticed."

"Do not let him hear you joke about him."

"Got it..."

* * *

Aimi doesn't believe the silence can get any more tense.

They're just going to a place where they can hide out for a while, get some rest in peace.

Or as much peace as a band of giant alien refugees can manage.

"Really guys, the silence is killing me. Vahsk, where'd you come from?"

"Uh... Cybertron...?"

"I mean what city."

"Oh. I'm from Tyger Pax."

"Did you like it there?"

"It was alright."

Aimi looks at him for a moment. "You're not one for conversation, are you?"

"Usually I am, but..." He shifts in discomfort, risking a glance at the Prime, who is seated somewhere between close to and far from Vahsk. "I don't really like it when someone keeps their field on me..."

" _Optimus_." The mech flinches at her tone, growls low, and folds his servos over his chassis, but Vahsk vents and relaxes.

"Thanks. But why would...? You know what, never mind. Skyfire, where are we going?"

Skyfire slows down until he can descend vertically, and he lands. "Right here."

"And where is here?"

He lowers his boarding ramp, revealing a forest.

"Grand Mesa National Forest, I believe it's called. There are paths within five miles, but I don't think anyone would foolish enough to venture out here."

"Great!" He starts to stand, only to be pushed back down by the Prime, who stands and walks out.

Vahsk looks at Aimi. " _What_ is his problem with me?"

"Maybe he sees you as a potential replacement."

"A replacement? Seriously?"

"Well, you _are_ two of my favorite things, purple and a Camaro."

"Oh. But I'm no one's replacement, and certainly not _his_."

"I know. And he knows, he just...is having a really hard time right now."

"I would be too if I _literally died_ to save a planet and the thanks I got was everyone I care about being hunted down and deactivated."

"Betrayal is an atrocious thing. Keep that in mind as long as you're around us, and especially around him."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I don't think my chapters can get any shorter. I know it's been forever since my last chapter, but life is wacko and gives me chronic writer's block.**

 **The next chapter will just come to me when it comes to me.**

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C12) Salida is in Colorado! (C13) Yes, the psychology and sociology of the Cybertronian is very interesting grounds for me to explore. Glad you like it!**

 **To _Agent Frostbite_ : (C9) Stick figures are my favorite. XD**

 **To _birdlover101_ : (C13) Yeah, I thought that was pretty good too. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy these new chapters!**

 **And to _Hiniko_ , _HeartLuvAnimeGirl_ , _LIGHT-DARK PROTECTOR_ , _mangafox1221_ , _TheGutsyWolf_ , _birdlover101_ , _Elfdof_ , _jenni10121_ , _Munto_ , and _Savage Kill_ , thank you for hitting "favorite"/"follow" on my story!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**

 **That last one was super short, so I decided I might as well write another chapter and put them up at the same time.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

Fire is out of the question. Any smoke would be likely to attract the attention of any park rangers in the area.

Not that the lack of a fire bothers Aimi. After all, the mechs all possess functional heating systems, and a fraction of that heat is expelled from each of them to warm the immediate vicinity. All she has to do is stay between them all, and the cold nighttime of the forest doesn't concern her in the least.

"So..."

Aimi looks up and over at Vahsk, who's been fidgeting in the silence for the last forty-five minutes.

"What's the, uh...the plan here?"

"Survive."

He flinches, which startles Aimi, which in turn snaps the Prime out of his intense guard duty. It's a given advantage of having the human leaning against the side of his heel strut.

"Really?" Vahsk obviously had not actually expected to get an answer, let alone from the Prime. "Is that all?"

The larger mech narrows his optics at Vahsk.

"I mean, there's some plan to make the humans see we're on their side, right? Isn't there?"

"We are not on their side."

"Oh, so you've just been running away from the tiny organics with the harmless little hand cannons for the last three years? No idea why you don't just turn around and crush them all?"

"I am not _like_ them."

Aimi catches his tone and places one hand on his pede to make him turn his audio to her. "Optimus."

He vents, then continues in a calmer tone. "They are far from harmless."

"Have they ever actually _killed_ any of us?"

Prime turns his helm away and Aimi looks up at Vahsk with wide eyes.

"You have been in the dark for a _very_ long time, haven't you?"

"Well, what Earth year is it?"

"2020."

"Wait... So you've been running for _eight_ years?

"They have been, yes. I joined only about a year ago. But why are you surprised it's 2020?"

"Uh, well... The last thing I remember is in the Earth year 2012, or maybe 2013... Anyway, I just remember there was an announcement that we existed and were friendly, and I came across a human who decided that, since I came to Earth all by myself, he was going to take me in. He was really nice, and a scientist. I think his name was...Walker, or something like that. That was 2011, and I was with him for a while, but I can't remember any details. But I _do_ know that something knocked me offline, and now I'm here."

"You came by yourself?"

"I was a little late in reacting to the Prime's message that it was safe to come to Earth, so I wasn't with anyone when I landed."

There's a long pause before Vahsk continues. "So...have the humans really been killing Autobots?"

"And Decepticons. They don't believe there are good Cybertronians anymore." Aimi looks down at the grass between her feet. "Just...Cybertronians."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And the timer on the next chapter starts...NOW.**


	16. Chapter 16

**N/A**

 **Today's main course is a terribly overdue dose of shortness and lack of story progression.**

* * *

Chapter 16

* * *

He won't admit it, but anxiety always makes him itch between his seams, and his high level of anxiety at the moment is causing rather persistent irritation in his jaw. Remaining still and alert makes him tense, and expecting to be attacked at any moment really winds up his battle systems.

Of course, he keeps his sword planted in the ground in front of him with one hand on the pommel.

As much as he struggles to shove down the aggravation, he puts up with it, ignoring his systems' alerts to the irritation in order to maintain his guard.

Eventually, the itching does stop, but a different irritation takes its place. This time it's an irritation at the edge of his outstretched field. Movement on the ground.

Alerted, he moves to grip the sword's handle and waits. The slightest brush against his field and he's on his pedes, in the air, bearing down on the intruder and pinning him with the blade pressed to his neck.

"Thanks! I missed you too."

The Prime's growling lessens at the sight of that smirk, but the blade remains still.

"Crosshairs?"

"Yes, that's my name. Anything else need clarifying?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I just followed the signal."

He gives the green and black mech an incredulous glare. "There is no signal."

"Well, you might wanna check that again."

Running a one-mile vicinity scan shows one very clear Autobot signal, located where the others are.

Specifically, Vahsk.

With a vent and a growl, the Prime leaves Crosshairs and stalks over to the recharging mechs. He seizes Vahsk by his chassis and hauls him to his pedes, effectively shaking him awake.

"Whoa..." Vahsk raises both hands. "What'd I do?"

"Your signal. Why is it active?"

"What? I—"

"Are you working for them?"

"I don't work for anyone!"

"If you do not deactivate your signal, they will find us. Turn it off."

"Okay! Just put me down."

Vahsk is practically thrown to the ground, and the resulting crash jolts Aimi from her sleep. A quick glance around reveals Drift and Skyfire already on their pedes.

Aimi stands up and looks between Vahsk and her guardian. "What's the problem?"

"Vahsk had his signal active."

"I do not work for the Decepticons or the humans." The purple mech slowly stands up. "You can throw my spark into the smelting pit if I am ever the cause of trouble."

After a moment of processing, the Prime lowers his sword but maintains the glare. "You have my word."

* * *

The drive to Grand Junction was ridden with silence, no communication between the human, semi, or two cars.

They located a retail store and Aimi rode in Drift to reduce suspicion upon entry. The items needed were obtained and fled with, the distraction was Crosshairs performing loud donuts and reckless driving in the parking lot, and Optimus blocked the security from the lot while Aimi ducked into Drift.

The drive to meet the others further south was just as silent. The approach to Skyfire deemed the use of dirt trail roads, which the Prime took exceptionally slow.

Primus forbid Crosshairs beg him to find his acceleration.

Eventually, they arrive to find Skyfire waiting in shuttle mode, Vahsk already inside. The boarding is quiet save for three transformation sequences and the small noise of discomfort as the smuggled goods are forced into Drift's subspace.

Aimi gives the Bugatti an apologetic look. "I meant to grab those."

"It is fine."

"So…" Aimi climbs up to sit between the Prime and Vahsk. "Where to now?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I am so, so sorry for dropping off the face of the planet! I am short on muse (like, zero muse), and thus I need some help.**

 **So you heard the girl, where are we going?! Where do YOU think the story (and characters) should go in the next two or three chapters?**

 **Don't worry, I still have a plot structure, I just have trouble with in-between-plot-points chapters and I would love some opinions. Hopefully I can get an idea for the next chapter and write it in less than a month (or three).**

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **To _BotQuester_ (guest): (C1) I am glad you're happy with the additional content! (C15) "Tense and overprotective" should be his middle name.**

 **To _Air-stryker_ : (C15) Thank you so much for the review! I really wish I could update more often (or often) too, and I think I may have gotten my muse back a little bit so it shouldn't take months for the next chapter. I'm very glad to see you asking for more character development.**

 **Whoa, only two reviews? Come on, people, reviews are a big part of keeping your favorite stories' authors writing!**

 **And to _Miss RaeFox, emlafi, clmsfsd, MareDattebayo, tigergirl1723, Starworksrly, loveisthewayforme, DisneyFanatic9100, FlamingStar1, acidicpoet, frozenrose09, WolfieLE,_ and _Angel.01Phoenix,_ Thank you all so much for hitting those "Follow"/"Favorite" buttons on my story and myself!**


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